Article of manufacture

ABSTRACT

A CHAIN LINK ELEMENT HAS TWO ELONGATED SIDE WALLS EACH HAVING A FIRST PORTION AND A LONGITUDINALLY ADJACENT SECOND PORTION WHICH IS INWARDLY OFFSET WITH REFERENCE TO THE FIRST PORTION. A FIRST AND A SECOND CONNECTING ROD CONNECTS THE PORTIONS TOGETHER. A SLOT IS PROVIDED IN THE SECOND CONNECTING ROD HAVING A GENERAL PLANE INCLINED TO THAT OF THE LINK ELEMENT AND EXTENDING LENGTHWISE IN THE SECOND CONNECTING ROD. THE LINK ELEMENT IS CONNECTABLE TO MAKE A CHAIN WITH ANOTHER SIMILAR LINK ELEMENT BY POSITIONING ITS SECOND PORTION BETWEEN THE FIRST PORTIONS OF THE OTHER LINK ELEMENT AND INTRODUCING THE FIRST CONNECTING ROD OF THE OTHER LINK ELEMENT THROUGH THE SLOT.

Dec. 14, 1971 5HER 3,626,690

ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE Filed June 8, 1970 lnvemar;

Apr 0 FISCHE/l,

United States Patent U.S. Cl. 59-84 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A chain link element has two elongated side walls each having a first portion and a longitudinally adjacent second portion which is inwardly offset with reference to the first portion. A first and a second connecting rod connects the portions together. A slot is provided in the second connecting rod having a general plane inclined to that of the link element and extending lengthwise in the second connecting rod. The link element is connectable to make a chain with another similar link element by positioning its second portions between the first portions of the other link element and introducing the first connecting rod of the other link element through the slot.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to a novel article of manufacture, and more particularly to a chain link element. Especially the invention relates to a chain link element for making chains in toys such as in toy assembly kits and the like.

The use of toy assembly kits permitting a child to assemble various structures or items, such as cranes, vehicles and the like, resembling real-life counterparts is gaining ever more popularity. The reason for this is not only the play value of such assembly kits, but also the educational value. One of the components which are frequently needed in kits of this type is a chain, for instance for motion-transmitting purposes, for suspension purposes, and the like. Because of the great variety of different structures which can be erected with these kits it is not practical to simply supply the kit with a single chain, it being evident that the requirements for the length of the chain vary from case to case-Le. from structure to structure-so that the length of the chain must be readily adjustable. This having been recognized, it is already known to provide such kits with a plurality of individual link elements which can be assembled with one another to make a chain, and clearly the length of the chain can be controlled by the number of such elements which are connected. The known link elements of this type are provided with two side walls each having a first portion defining with a corresponding first portion of the other side wall a certain transverse distance and being connected by a connecting rod, and a second portion defining with the corresponding second portion of the other side wall a larger distance. The juxtaposed surfaces of the second portions are provided with short projections whereas the outwardly oppositely directed surfaces of the first portions are provided with the corresponding depressions or recesses. To connect two of these link elements with one another the first portions of one link element are introduced between the second portions of the other link element so that the projections of the other link element snap into the recesses of the first-mentioned link element. It is evident that the necessary snap action presupposes a certain elastic defiectability of the link element, and this can be achieved either by the construction and configuration of the projections or/ and making the side walls at least in part yieldable. Whatever solution is used, links thus connected will snap apart when the forces acting upon a thus-assembled chain lengthwise of the latter exceed a certain rather low limit.

It need hardly be emphasized that this is most undesirable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to overcome this disadvantage.

More particularly it is an object of the present invention to provide as a novel article of manufacture a chain link element which avoids these difiiculties.

Still more specifically the novel chain link element according to the present invention is to be connectable with other similar chain link elements without danger of undesired separation even when significant forces act upon the thus-assembled chain in direction lengthwise thereof.

Of course, the chain link element according to the present invention is also to be disconnectable from others which have been connected with it.

Further, the chain link element according to the present invention is to be simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

In pursuance of the above objects, and others which will become apparent hereafter, one feature of the invention resides, briefly stated, in a link element for assembly of chains which comprises two elongated side walls each having a first portion and a longitudinally adjacent second portion inwardly offset with reference to the first portion. The first portions are transversely spaced by a first distance and the second portions are transversely spaced by a smaller second distance. A first connecting rod connects the first portions and a second connecting rod connects the second portions with a bore extending lengthwise through the second connecting rod and being dimensioned to accommodate the first connecting rod. A slot is provided in the second connecting rod and has a general plane inclined to that of the link element. This slot extends lengthwise in the second connecting rod 1n communication with the bore and the link element is connectable with another link element to form a chain simply by positioning the second portions of the link element between the first portions of the other llnk element and introducing the first connecting rod of the other link element through the slot into the bore.

The provision of the two connecting rods serves to rigidly connect the two side walls with one another so that the link element is rigid in itself. Undesired yieldability and concomitant unintended separation are therefore avoided. By having the general plane of the slot in the second connecting rod inclined to the general plane of the link element, and by having the slot and the bore extend transversely to the elongation of the side walls, it is clear that significant forces can be transmitted lengthwise of a chain assembled from such elements without any danger that the assembled elements could come apart. This is true even if the thus-assembled chain follows an other-than-stra-ight path, for instance if it is trained about a sprocket wheel or if it is trained about two spaced sprocket wheels and hangs through between them.

The provision of the two connecting rods on each link element according to the present invention assures that a means for engaging the thus-assembled chain is provided at both ends of the chain, assuming that the latter has been assembled to be finite. Thus for instance the chain can be utilized for lifting purposes by connecting a load to be lifted to one of the terminal link elements and securing the other of its terminal link elements to a model load-lifting device, for instance a crane or the like, always in most advantageous manner via one of the connecting rods.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The single figure illustrates one exemplary embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Discussing now the figure in detail it will be seen that the exemplary link elements illustrated therein comprises two side walls 1 which are transversely spaced with reference to one another and which are both elongated. Substantially midway between their respective ends these side walls are inwardly offset, that is each side wall has one portion defining with the corresponding portion of the other side wall a first transverse distance, and an inwardly offset second portion defining with the corresponding portion of the other side wall a transverse second distance which is smaller than the first distance. These side walls may thus be thought of as being stepped. The offsetting is such that the narrower part of the link element is receivable in the wider part of a similarly configurated additional link element.

The side walls 1 are connected rigidly with one another by means of a first connecting rod 2 extending across the first larger transverse distance and a second connecting rod 3 extending across the second smaller transverse distance, as illustrated. In the illustrated embodiment the connecting rod 2 is of circular cross-section and the connecting rod 3 is provided, in accordance with the present invention, with a longitudinally extending bore 4 which also extends through the associated wall portions and terminates at the outwardly directed surfaces of the latter, again as illustrated. According to the invention the cross-sectional configuration of the bore 4 is such that the latter can accommodate the connecting rod 3 therein. The connecting rod 3 is further provided with a longitudinally extending slot 5 which extends to and into communication with the bore 4 from the outer circumference of the connecting rod 3 and which also extends to the outwardly directed surfaces of the associated wall portions. In other words, the elongation of slot 5 is identical with that of the bore 4. The slot 5 has extensions where it penetrates the associated wall portions, and these extensions terminate in the edge faces 6 of these wall portions. The width of the slot 5 is slightly smaller than the diameter of the first connecting rod 2 and of the bore 4 so that when a similar link element is to be connected with the one illustrated, its connecting rod 2 must be inserted through the slot 5 with a snap-action into the bore 4 of the illustrated link element. According to the invention the general plane of the slot 5 is inc lined with reference to the general plane of the illustrated link element.

It will be appreciated that to assemble a chain from link elements such as that illustrated, it is simply necessary to insert the narrower portion of the illustrated link element between the wider portion of a similar link element and to introduce the connecting rod 2 of this other link element into the illustrated bore 4. Additional link elements can then be connected until the chain has the desired length. Of course, by virtue of the cross-sectional configuration of the respective connecting rods 2 and bores 4 the connected link elements are articulated, that is they can pivot with reference to one another.

It is advantageous, but not necessary that the link element according to the present invention consist of syn- 4 thetic plastic material. If that is the case it can again advantageously be produced in one piece by known injection molding techniques. However, some or all of the components of the link element can of course be made of other material.

It will be appreciated that the illustrated embodiment is exemplary only and that other possibilities are clearly within the scope of the invention. For instance, the general plane of the slot 5 may be inclined in the direction towards the connecting rod 2 of the respective link element, an arrangement which reliably prevents undesired separation of connected link elements even if a thus-assembled chain is positioned in or moves in a strongly curved path and the slot 5 faces the inner side of the curvature. This measure will not, however, affect the ease with which such link elements can be connected and disconnected. Also, the slot 5 may also have a general plane which makes a right angle with the general plane of the link element and enters into the bore 4 in such a manner that the wall portion of the second connecting rod located closest to the first connecting rod merges tangentially into the bore 4.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a link element for chains, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims:

1. As a novel article of manufacture, a link element for chains, comprising two elongated side walls each having a first portion and a longitudinally adjacent second portion inwardly offset with reference to said first portion, said first portions being transversely spaced by a first distance and said second portions being transversely spaced by a smaller second distance; a first connecting rod connecting said first portions, and a second connecting rod connecting said second portions; a bore extending lengthwise through said second connecting rod and through said second portions, said bore being dimensioned to accommodate said first connecting rod; and a slot in said second connecting rod having a general plane inclined to that of said link element and extending lengthwise in said second connecting rod in communication with said bore, whereby said link element is connectable to form a chain with an other link element by positioning said second portions between the first portions of the other link element and introducing the first connecting rod of the other link element through said slot into said bore.

2. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 1, said first connecting rod having a predetermined crosssectional dimension, said bore having a cross-sectional dimension at least equal to said predetermined dimension, and said slot having a width slightly smaller than said predetermined dimension.

3. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 2, wherein at least said side walls consist of synthetic plastic material.

4. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 2, wherein said connecting rods are unitary with said side walls and all consist of synthetic plastic material.

3,626,690 5 5. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 2, FOREIGN PATENTS wherein the general plane of said slot is inclined in direc- 583,287 8/1933 G rman tion toward said first connecting rod. E y

80,215 4/1934 Sweden.

References Cited 5 CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS G. P. CROSBY, Assistant Examiner 1,483,132 2/1924 Toelcke 59-80 2,221,053 11/1940 Lauenstein 74-250 R US. 01. X.R. 3,141,347 7/1964 Onulak 7425OR 714501 I 

